Sister's Choice Quilts

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Trimming, Layouts, and Getting There

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I went gangbusters on my Message in a Bottle blocks while I was on my quilting retreat.  I finished the 42 pinwheel blocks before I left and finished up the 56 square in a square blocks while vacationing.  Then they all had to be trimmed. 

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Soon as I got home, I set up camp on my kitchen counter and trimmed away, using my fabulous Fit to be Square ruler.  Does that tool ever do a great job on squaring up that block!

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Now that the blocks are all finished, I can start playing around with them on my design wall—which isn't quite big enough to lay them all out.  That's all right, I think I can lay out one half at a time.  You know what is thrilling me?  I used so many fabrics, I hardly ever end up with two that are the same touching each other.  Famous last words.  Now I have gone and jinxed it.

I love the mosaic effect of those blocks when they are assembled together.  Tell me your opinion:  Do you think those center plain squares are calling out for some sort of custom quilting motif?

48 responses to “Trimming, Layouts, and Getting There”

  1. In my very limited experience… YES!! I think some custom quilting in the centers would give the quilt that extra “TA-DAAA”. But thats just my little ol’ opinion. 🙂

  2. In my very limited experience… YES!! I think some custom quilting in the centers would give the quilt that extra “TA-DAAA”. But thats just my little ol’ opinion. 🙂

  3. Custom quilting would look wonderful in the center squares. After seeing your quilt Message in a Bottle is a pattern I need to get and make. I love your browns and blues and I have several pieces of the Nottingham line left from another quilt project. Thanks so much sharing your quilt.

  4. Custom quilting would look wonderful in the center squares. After seeing your quilt Message in a Bottle is a pattern I need to get and make. I love your browns and blues and I have several pieces of the Nottingham line left from another quilt project. Thanks so much sharing your quilt.

  5. The trimming picture just reminded me of how much I don’t like trimming. I tend to want to skip that part and then get to trim the pieces as I piece the blocks together. You would think I would learn. And I currently am into custom quilting in blank spaces but mostly I think it depends on how you plan to use the quilt. In my experience, few people notice custom except other quilters.

  6. The trimming picture just reminded me of how much I don’t like trimming. I tend to want to skip that part and then get to trim the pieces as I piece the blocks together. You would think I would learn. And I currently am into custom quilting in blank spaces but mostly I think it depends on how you plan to use the quilt. In my experience, few people notice custom except other quilters.

  7. Really nice quilt and just love the fabrics…my favorite. I can see some really good quilting in the middles of those blocks. Am interested in that ruler and will have to check it out…
    Gail

  8. Really nice quilt and just love the fabrics…my favorite. I can see some really good quilting in the middles of those blocks. Am interested in that ruler and will have to check it out…
    Gail

  9. Applause, applause at this stellar quilt and your speed and delight in sewing the block units!! This top will probably go together like lightening.
    Since there is so much wonderful movement in the quilt’s mosaic pattern, methinks a simple quilting pattern would be better, like straight line diamonds. Does that appeal to you? It’s okay if it doesn’t!
    Hugs!

  10. Applause, applause at this stellar quilt and your speed and delight in sewing the block units!! This top will probably go together like lightening.
    Since there is so much wonderful movement in the quilt’s mosaic pattern, methinks a simple quilting pattern would be better, like straight line diamonds. Does that appeal to you? It’s okay if it doesn’t!
    Hugs!

  13. Just gorgeous. Yes, yes, yes -a really good place in those blocks for a special quilting pattern. Love it!
    Mary

  14. Just gorgeous. Yes, yes, yes -a really good place in those blocks for a special quilting pattern. Love it!
    Mary

  17. Don’t you just love a good retreat at the beginning of the year? my Guild has their annual retreat in January. It’s my favorite retreat of the year because it really inspires me to move forward on my quilting.
    Where did you go in Calif for your retreat? Obviously it was very productive.
    That mix of colors on the blocks really do something special to the quilt. As to the quilting, it really depends on whether you want the centers to be a focal point or if you want to keep that overall look. I haven’t had many quilts custom quilted because many of them are scrappy and the custom quilting would be lost, but this one lends itself to it due to that blank canvas in the center of the block. I think either way you go it will look great because the finished piece will have a strong “character” on it’s own, if you know what I mean.

  18. Don’t you just love a good retreat at the beginning of the year? my Guild has their annual retreat in January. It’s my favorite retreat of the year because it really inspires me to move forward on my quilting.
    Where did you go in Calif for your retreat? Obviously it was very productive.
    That mix of colors on the blocks really do something special to the quilt. As to the quilting, it really depends on whether you want the centers to be a focal point or if you want to keep that overall look. I haven’t had many quilts custom quilted because many of them are scrappy and the custom quilting would be lost, but this one lends itself to it due to that blank canvas in the center of the block. I think either way you go it will look great because the finished piece will have a strong “character” on it’s own, if you know what I mean.

  25. I love the process of picking the fabrics and making the blocks, but the trimming, not so much. It can become very tedious. I’m not a big fan of intensive quilting. I think, sometimes, it takes away from the blocks and fabric, which I think, should be the focal points of the quilt. So I would say minimum quilting. That said, I think whatever style you choose, this quilt will be fabulous.

  26. I love the process of picking the fabrics and making the blocks, but the trimming, not so much. It can become very tedious. I’m not a big fan of intensive quilting. I think, sometimes, it takes away from the blocks and fabric, which I think, should be the focal points of the quilt. So I would say minimum quilting. That said, I think whatever style you choose, this quilt will be fabulous.

  27. You did go great guns! Congrats on getting all that work done so you can move on to the next best part of assembly 🙂 I do think a nice motif would fit well into that creamy center. I think you can do it too!

  28. You did go great guns! Congrats on getting all that work done so you can move on to the next best part of assembly 🙂 I do think a nice motif would fit well into that creamy center. I think you can do it too!

  29. Oh my gosh, Nicole, gorgeous quilt! I can’t wait to see it completed. As for the quilting, as some of the others have pointed out, only quilters notice custom and if you plan to use it to snuggle down in, the less quilting, the softer the quilt. I just sent two quilts up my SIL who is a custom longarm quilter. She does quilts for folks all over the country for shows, lots of the for the Sisters Quilt Show which she participates in. One of the quilts I sent her some large rectangle areas in the that cry out to me for custom quilting…but it is a large Thimlbleberries that I want to wrap up in and use, so she told it would be much softer and cuddly with less quilting so I’m going a different direction. BUT, on the other hand, who is it we need to please??? Ourselves isn’t it? With all the work and love we put into our quilts, we should have them quilted in a way that pleases us. That’s my two cents, for what it’s worth, LOL. Big Hugs….

  30. Oh my gosh, Nicole, gorgeous quilt! I can’t wait to see it completed. As for the quilting, as some of the others have pointed out, only quilters notice custom and if you plan to use it to snuggle down in, the less quilting, the softer the quilt. I just sent two quilts up my SIL who is a custom longarm quilter. She does quilts for folks all over the country for shows, lots of the for the Sisters Quilt Show which she participates in. One of the quilts I sent her some large rectangle areas in the that cry out to me for custom quilting…but it is a large Thimlbleberries that I want to wrap up in and use, so she told it would be much softer and cuddly with less quilting so I’m going a different direction. BUT, on the other hand, who is it we need to please??? Ourselves isn’t it? With all the work and love we put into our quilts, we should have them quilted in a way that pleases us. That’s my two cents, for what it’s worth, LOL. Big Hugs….

  35. I’m a stipple girl on just about everything and then washing it so it’s all crinkly and old looking. It’s the best quilt ever!

  36. I’m a stipple girl on just about everything and then washing it so it’s all crinkly and old looking. It’s the best quilt ever!

  37. What does your gut tell you? That’s what you should do with the centers!! I got my ruler a couple weeks ago & it looks like it’s right up there with the Fit to Be Geese! Love the quilt & all the progress you made at the retreat!!

  38. What does your gut tell you? That’s what you should do with the centers!! I got my ruler a couple weeks ago & it looks like it’s right up there with the Fit to Be Geese! Love the quilt & all the progress you made at the retreat!!

  39. I see no jinx here, Nicole! I love exactly how you’ve laid it out! I say have it quilted the way YOU want it! After all, it’s all your hard work poured into it!
    Cheers!

  40. I see no jinx here, Nicole! I love exactly how you’ve laid it out! I say have it quilted the way YOU want it! After all, it’s all your hard work poured into it!
    Cheers!

  41. The quilt is going to be beautiful. As for the quilting, I’d be tempted to go with something more alloverish and not make those centres too focal. But it’s your quilt, and you need to go in the direction that speaks to you — or go with the advice and experience of your longarm quilter! Any way it is quilted, it will be fabulous.

  42. The quilt is going to be beautiful. As for the quilting, I’d be tempted to go with something more alloverish and not make those centres too focal. But it’s your quilt, and you need to go in the direction that speaks to you — or go with the advice and experience of your longarm quilter! Any way it is quilted, it will be fabulous.

  43. The quilt top is looking really good. I love your choice of colour. It gives a real 3D effect to the pattern. I don’t think the plain centre squares need a custom quilt motif. They’re not that big they need filling.

  44. The quilt top is looking really good. I love your choice of colour. It gives a real 3D effect to the pattern. I don’t think the plain centre squares need a custom quilt motif. They’re not that big they need filling.

  47. OK I think the concensus is custom quilting in the center squares, which is what I was thinking before you asked the question 🙂 Love, love, love those colors!

  48. OK I think the concensus is custom quilting in the center squares, which is what I was thinking before you asked the question 🙂 Love, love, love those colors!